Mister West by R.J. Lewis (animal farm read .TXT) 📕

He walks straight into a giant, modern kitchen and rummages around in a pantry room that seems to go on for miles.

I follow his advice and take a stroll. The entire place is open concept. There’s a huge living room with giant floor to ceiling windows. The couches look  modern and white, it doesn’t look like anyone’s sat in them ever. He doesn’t have a television. It makes me do a double take. I’m so unused to that. Instead, he’s got built in bookshelves that are deep and loaded with books. They’re even labelled by genre: History, Economics, Politics. No fiction books, though.

“That’s gotta change,” I mutter to myself.

Next to the room is what I can only describe as half a wall. I walk around it and there’s a huge dining room. All of it once again looks like it’s never been touched. There’s a modern gas fireplace built into the half wall, feet from the dining table. I run my fingers along the marble table, glancing briefly at the full basket of fresh fruit in the center. Does he even eat that, or does it die slowly in the basket?

I walk around the table and stop at the floor to ceiling window here, boasting the most stellar view of the entertainment district. There’s a dreamy vibe standing here at night, looking down at all the lights.

So cool.

“There’s a balcony in the living room, if you want to step out for a better look,” Aidan says from behind me.

I turn around. He’s leaning against the half-wall, right over the fireplace, arms crossed. He’s got a soft expression now, like he really isn’t bothered by me after all.

“I’ll check it out,” I tell him. “Your place is nice, Aidan, and I haven’t seen half of it.”

His smile is short and doesn’t meet his eye. “Thanks.”

I’m confused by his mood. I can’t get to the bottom of it. I’m paranoid it’s to do with me, so I do what I do best. I apologize for being an inconvenience.

“I’m sorry,” I tell him, and it comes out in a rush. “I had no idea Derek would call you…God, I heard him shouting at you and…”

Aidan doesn’t respond. He just watches me, waiting for more.

I squeeze the purse straps tight. “He found out about you, and he took the phone off me, saw your name and then locked himself up in the bathroom. He must have gone through our conversation. Anyway, I don’t know why you came. I’m sorry if you were concerned. I was okay. You really didn’t need to do that.”

Aidan’s face changes now. His jaw tightens. “You think you were okay?”

“It was just another fight.”

“That was the norm?”

Yes. I hesitate. Then I reiterate, “I’m sorry you felt like you had to come. I don’t mean to be a bother. I…wasn’t going to stay there, just so you know. I was getting ready to leave.”

“Where were you planning to go?”

“To Ana’s.”

“Is she expecting you right now?”

“I uh…I didn’t get that far.”

I’m not making sense, I think. I wonder if he thinks I would have stayed, and that I’m talking bullshit. I want to explain that Derek was forcing me in the bedroom, but that would sound even worse and…

I let out a shaky sigh and look down at my hands, finally admitting, “You rescued me, Aidan. I…I don’t know how long it would have taken me to get past Derek, to be brutally honest, alright? I…feel like a huge bother, is all. I’m embarrassed by what you saw, that I let it get to that point. I was trying to end it again because he was suddenly wanting to take me out on our anniversary. He said we could make this work, and I kept telling him no. It got ugly fast. I think I’m to blame, too. I should have…done it differently, maybe. I should have known he’d go back to the drink, and…I don’t know…”

I’m rambling, but my heart is hurting.

Tears prick my eyes, but I do everything in my power to keep them from falling. Instead, I swallow down the ache in my throat and stand there, waiting for a response. I can’t cry. I’m also responsible for how the evening went. There were so many things I could have done differently. Ana was right. I should have made an escape plan and taken off. My stupid empathy for Derek kept me rooted in a toxic situation. Actually…I don’t know why I stayed as long as I did. I’m so confused with myself.

When I will myself to look back at Aidan, he’s watching me, unreadable still. My eyes aren’t burning anymore, and I’m composed.

Softly, he asks, “You hungry?”

I don’t feel hungry just because of everything that’s happened, but I need a break from Aidan’s intensity. I nod. “Yeah, you?”

“Come.”

He leads me back to the kitchen and motions for me to sit down on a stool around the island. I sit down, setting the purse down on the ground next to my feet. I watch as he throws his suit jacket off and tosses it around the stool on the other side of the island from me. Then he loosens his tie with one hand, and with the other he’s opening the fridge and pulling out containers. He sets them all down on the island, one after the other until there’s at least ten. He fetches two wine glasses from the cupboard and grabs a wine bottle on the counter he must have already pulled out of the pantry from before.

“Open them all up,” he says, setting down plates and forks. “Let’s see what’s for dinner.”

I give him a weird look as I start to open the containers. “You don’t know what’s inside them?”

He shakes his head and slides into the stool across from me. “My chef comes in here, makes the food, packs them away and leaves. I’m sure she asks me what I want, but I don’t remember ever answering.”

I crack a smile.